Electric drier.



T. B. RAY & W. LAFORD.

ELECTRIC DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 19l2.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

THOMAS IB. RAY AND WILLIAM LAFORD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC DETER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

Application filed June 24, 1911. Serial No. 635,145.

of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of' New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Driers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates more particularly to electric driers used in connection with drying the interior of vats used for storing beer in breweries.

In the manufacture of beer, it is the custom to store the same in large vats and these vats have to be varnished or coated on the interior thereof at intervals, and it is necessary in carrying this into effect that the'interior of the, vat be thoroughly dry, otherwise the coating cannot be successfully carried out. or the beer might be injuriously affected when placed in the vat after the interior of the vat has been coated. While these vats are very large, the inlet opening is comparatively small and the means heretofore employed, so far as we are aware, was gas or like means whichvhas in some instances resulted in the death or injury to those practicing such methods.

The primary object of the invention is to overcome the object-ions incident-to the use of the usual method of drying the interior of vats, and to provide a device which may be connected with a source'of electric supply and which is made portable so that it may be easily transported, and which device may be readily placed -through a comparatively small opening within the vat, and the interior thereof subjected to the necessary heat-producing means ,for drying purposes.

Another' objectfof the invention is to provide a device in which simpleand eiiicient means is provided for supporting and heating the electric resisting means within the same in such a way as to utilize the heat generated to the best advantage.

A further' object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient device which may be easily made and assembled and which may be used for various purposes.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and will then be pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one form of de- Vicev embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of the device. Fig. 3 is a section, partly in elevation, showing one of the heat-producing elements; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section,

taken on the line IV#IV of Fig. 3.

The casing 10 may be of any suitable metal and has slots or other perforations 11 to adapt the heat to readily escape from Within the device. This casing 10 may be substantially rectangular in .form and is provided with wheels or rollers 12at the front and rear thereof to adapt the same to be readily portable, and said casing at the upper part thereof may be provided with handles 13. f Al plurality of partitions 14 are arranged within the casing 10 and heads 14a are located at or near` the ends thereof, and these heads and partitions forma support for a plurality of heat-producing elements 15. These elements 15 with the heads and partitions form a frame, and deach element may comprise an outer metallic tube 16 which is suitably supported in the partitions 14 and heads 14a. Within the metallic tube 16 is a mica, porcelain or other insulating tube. 17 which extends. throughout substantially the entire length of the copper or metal heating tube 16. The resistance coil 18 is located. within the insulating tube 17 and this coil may be of special wire which is wound as` close as possible but not close enough to short circuit the coils, and is of a length corresponding substantially to the length of the tube. An insulating core 19 is located-'within each resistance coil 18y and this core may be in the form of an asbestos cord or other means which is adapted to cause the heat to pass outward instead of to the interior of the coil. This core 19 may be suspended in any suitable Way to support the wire coil or it electric supply. As shown, the bars are held may be arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 3. As the Current passes through the coil, the resistance thereof will create heat asis usual in heating coils, and the heat therefrom Will be transmitted throughv the outer copper or other tube 16 and to the partitions which also serve as radiating surfaces, and from Within the device the heat will pass through4 the slots 11 or other openings in the casing 10 to Within the vat to dry the same or to be utilized. for heating purposes in any desired Way.

. A plug 20 of porcelain or other material is arranged in the outer ends of each heating element Within the insulating tube 17. Each plug has a central opening therethrough from which a leader 21 passes and said leader of each coil is cemented Within the opening of the plug and is connected to one ofthe bus bars 22 and 23.` These bars may be connected in any suitable manner to the coils 'so that the latter may be'properly heated vvhen the current passes from the source of toa protecting plate 24 Which extends transversely of the casing 10 over the insulating4 plugs 20 and adjacent to the outer front head 14a, and one of said bars, as 22, may be for the positive connection and the bar 23 for the negative or, return, there also being a protectingplate 24for the plugs 20 at the rearoi" the"device. The coilsl are arranged in sets and each set may be connected' together in series. The leading in Wire from he bar 22 may connect to one coil of each set of the heating elements 15, and the return of each set is connected to`the bar 23. The bar 22 is connected by a Wire 25 to a switch or a connection 26, and the bar 23 by a Wire 27 to said connection, This connection 26 is so ,arranged that a jack or other means from any suitable source of supply may be connected thereto Wherebyfthe electric current may be caused to pass to andthrough the heating elements to heat the Wire coils-18 and lthereby generate heat Which Will pass from the device through the openings or slots 11 inthe casing 10.

4 In assembling the device,we Wind the coil 18 of special Wire upon a rod as close together as possible but not so close as to touch or short circuit the coils until the required length of Wire is secured, after which the asbestos core 19 is placed Within the resistance coil. The mica or other insulating tube 17 is then placed around the resistance coil Within the tube 16, the Whole serving to form the heating element.I These heating elements are supported at each end in one of the heads and are sealed at their `ends to make the same practically air-tight. These heads 14a and the partitions 14 WithV the heating elements form a frame, and this frame is place-d Within the casing 10 and thev electric connections as hereinbefore described are connected with the resistance coils after the protecting plates 24 have been placed in position.

While We have described the invention as applied more particularly to drying the interior of vats, it Will be understood that it may be used for any suitable purpose, and it Will be also understood that the particular form of electrical connection, as Well as the particular resistance means, may be changed Without departing from the character of the invention so long as such features are Within the scope of the claims.

From the foregoing, it Will be seen that a simple and etlicient device is provided whereby an effective heater and drier is secured; that said device or drier is simple in construction and may be readily made and assembled; that simple and eiiicient heating elements are provided Within the device; and that said device may be made compact and portable and is adapted to permit the same to` be placed through a small opening Withina vat. or in any other desired location for heating or drying purposes.

Having thusi described our invention, We claim as nevs7 and desire to secure by Letters Patent:-

1. A device of the character described, comprising a substantially rectangular casing having openings therethrough, a plurality of partitions Within the casing, heads located-at each end of the casing, Wheels for supporting said casing to adapt the same to be movable, said casing having handles, a plurality of heating elements arranged in parallel relation Within said casing and supported in said heads .and partitions, and electric connections `vliereby -said heating elements may be heated.

2. A device of the character described, comprising acasing having openings therethrough for the passage of heat, a plurality of partitions arranged Within the casing, heads located in the ends of said casing, a` plurality of heating elements supported in the heads and partit-ions, protecting plates arranged adjacent to the heads, and electric connections for the heating elements.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a casing having openings therethrough for the passage of heat, -a plurality of heating elements including resistance coils one for each element, means fory supporting said elements Within the casing, bus bars supported at one end of the casing, electric connections between the bus bars and the resistance coils, said coils being arranged in" sets and each set connected in series to said ba`rs, and 'electrical connections for the heating elements.

1,021,704 l i Y. 3'

4. A device of the character described, neans whereby the device may loe-connected 10 comprising a casing, a plurality of heating to a source of electric supply. elements including resistance coils one for This specification signed and witnessed each element, means for supporting said elevthis 16th day of June A. D. 1911. ments within the casing, bars supported at THOMAS B. RAY.

one end of the casing, electric connections v WILLIAM 'LAFORD between the bars and the resistance coils, Witnesses: said coils being arranged in sets and each C. BARTELS, f

set connected in series to said bars, and LESTER C. TAYLOR. 

